Apple, other companies pull Skype from Chinese app stores at request of government
Microsoft, Apple, and others have been forced by the Chinese government to withdraw the Skype app from app stores in the country -- and at present there is no timetable for its return to availability.
Microsoft's Skype had been gradually disappearing from Chinese app stores since October, with news of the absence reaching the media on Tuesday. While the Chinese government has issued no official statement as to why Skype has been restricted, it has likely been done so because of the ability to encrypt the communications -- preventing effective government monitoring.
"We have been notified by the Ministry of Public Security that a number of voice over internet protocol apps do not comply with local law. Therefore these apps have been removed from the app store in China," Apple said Tuesday in an emailed statement to the New York Times. "These apps remain available in all other markets where they do business."
A Microsoft spokesman told the New York Times that Skype had been "temporarily removed" from Apple's store and that efforts were being made to "reinstate the app as soon as possible."
Apple isn't the only company affected. The app remains unavailable on Google Play, as well as Android handset manufacturers Huawei and Xiaomi's app stores.
In July, Apple removed virtual private network (VPN) apps from the Chinese App Store, apparently complying with a broader government crackdown on VPN technology. The shutdown followed an earlier crippling of WhatsApp, as well as the retraction of the New York Times app.
In June, China ratified new cybersecurity laws that mandate certain data protections for Chinese citizens. Importantly, foreign firms operating within China's borders must store sensitive data on domestic servers, and must likewise pass security reviews before transferring said data out of the country.
Apple opened a data center in China to comply with the cybersecurity rules that the country put in place. The facility was set up in Guizhou with the help of Guizhou-Cloud Big Data Industry Co. Ltd., and represents a portion of Apple's planned $1 billion investment into the province
Microsoft's Skype had been gradually disappearing from Chinese app stores since October, with news of the absence reaching the media on Tuesday. While the Chinese government has issued no official statement as to why Skype has been restricted, it has likely been done so because of the ability to encrypt the communications -- preventing effective government monitoring.
"We have been notified by the Ministry of Public Security that a number of voice over internet protocol apps do not comply with local law. Therefore these apps have been removed from the app store in China," Apple said Tuesday in an emailed statement to the New York Times. "These apps remain available in all other markets where they do business."
A Microsoft spokesman told the New York Times that Skype had been "temporarily removed" from Apple's store and that efforts were being made to "reinstate the app as soon as possible."
Apple isn't the only company affected. The app remains unavailable on Google Play, as well as Android handset manufacturers Huawei and Xiaomi's app stores.
In July, Apple removed virtual private network (VPN) apps from the Chinese App Store, apparently complying with a broader government crackdown on VPN technology. The shutdown followed an earlier crippling of WhatsApp, as well as the retraction of the New York Times app.
In June, China ratified new cybersecurity laws that mandate certain data protections for Chinese citizens. Importantly, foreign firms operating within China's borders must store sensitive data on domestic servers, and must likewise pass security reviews before transferring said data out of the country.
Apple opened a data center in China to comply with the cybersecurity rules that the country put in place. The facility was set up in Guizhou with the help of Guizhou-Cloud Big Data Industry Co. Ltd., and represents a portion of Apple's planned $1 billion investment into the province
Comments
Seems like the logical international communication tool
and the reason for the Chinese population to move to iPhones,
more and more over time. ….and as price points allow.
If China's intent is to block communication services using end-to-end encryption if the provider won't share an unlock key with the Chinese government how has Apple managed to comply? For example is Facetime and iMessage not available in China? Maybe they had to remove them from Chinese iPhones? If not and with encrypted WhatsApp, Signal and now Skype being blocked then it seems the inference would be that Apple has provided a key for the appropriate Chinese agency(s) in order to avoid the same fate...
So please stop the whining.
That’s why Wechat is so popular there.
China doesn't have a problem with criticism. They have local councils who are often critical of the government.
They also don’t have a problem with privacy. What they have a problem with is widespread dissent.
If you and your friends don’t like the government, then fine. Chat about it in private (as many Chinese people do). But if you attempt to broadcast your criticism publicly then you have a problem. (And what the authorities see as criticism is a grey area).
iMessage is not a public broadcast medium, so the Chinese authorities aren’t interested in it, so it remains encrypted. In fact, Apple doesn’t have a chat public broadcast medium.
Do not mistake China for North Korea. They’re as different as chalk and cheese.
Source: a Chinese PhD student. We chat about this a lot, and she gets pretty annoyed when folk say stuff like “bet you’re glad you can rag on the government without getting arrested.”
She says, “I always could.”
As for iMessage I was not aware that the multi-recipient message capabilities of it differed all that much from WhatsApp or Signal. How so? And why would the Chinese not be interested in ferreting out individual and potentially dangerous dissidents no matter their choice of communication service? Your explanation doesn't make sense to me so perhaps you could take a few moments to expand on it.
I think it's time that US went hard after China for all manner of trade restraints that it imposes on our tech sector.
Unfortunately, we have no b411s, so it's hope rather than expectation....
In order to subtly push the idea that Apple has given the Chinese a backdoor into iMessage, you’ve overlooked what I wrote in my previous post: China does not have a problem with private conversations that criticise the government. A dissident is only dangerous if he spreads his ideas through a mass communications medium. If you have a complaint then you go through the local councils.
Secondly, you don’t know why the app was banned. Is it the app, or does China have a problem with Microsoft? China does have an annoying habit of doing this sort of thing until some sort of show of public grovelling is made and/or a wodge of cash is handed over.
And Whatsapp could be banned simply because it belongs to a company that is the very definition of a mass broadcast medium.
Now let’s get to the meat of the notion that you are trying to bed in: has Apple given China a backdoor to iMessage
I doubt it.
For one thing, hardly anyone in China uses iMessage, so banning it would not actually provide the Chinese with much leverage against Cupertino. They’re much more likely to ban iTunes.
If Apple was asked to provide a backdoor, I think they would weigh up the cost of the keys being lost against the small number of Chinese people who use it – then simply remove it from all phones sold in China.
But let’s say you’re right: Apple has a backdoor to iMessages that allows them to access mssages and hand them over to governments. When asked if such a key exists, Apple has said, “No, we can’t intercept and decrypt messages.” If what you are trying to assert is true, then Apple has been lying to its customers, the public and numerous law enforcement agencies then that breach of trust would undermine their cloud efforts going forward. Cook would be removed and would probably face criminal charges.
I just can’t see them taking that risk.